Door lock



May 24, 1938- G. STEEN 2,118,481

DOOR LOCK Filed March 11, 1937 2 She'ets-Sheet 1 -May 24, 1938.

G. E. STEEN 2,118,481

DOOR LOCK Filed March 11, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 24, 1938UNITED STATES PATENT on-ice 1 wa George E. Steen, Walsh, 0010.Application March 11, 17937, Serial 130,380

Claims. (Cl. 292-220) *1 This invention relates to the class of locksand latches and pertains particularly to an improved lock for hingedclosures such as automobile doors usual window operating mechanismhoused in the body of the door.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel type of motorvehicle door lock employing an oscillating bolt which, because of. thenovel mechanism associated therewith for actuating it, may be maderelatively short so that the entire lock mechanism when placed in thefront edge of the door structure will extend only a relatively shortdistance into the same..

A still further object of the invention is to provide a lock of thecharacter described in which the parts are so designed that they may bereversed in the frame orbody portion of the look so as to adapt any lockto any door of a motor vehicle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a lock of thecharacter described novel means whereby the bolt may be secured againstmovement from the interior of the vehicle.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of. thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding,however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformitywith the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so longas such changes or modifications mark no material departure from thesalientfeatures of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the interior of a door and theadjacent jamb showing the lock structure embodying the present inventionmounted in the door.

Fig. 2 is a view taken substantially on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1, showingthe relations of the sev-' eral parts and the preferred manner ofmounting the outside operating handle with respect to the door.

I Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 3'3 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 1s a-vertical section taken substantially on the line 44 of Fig.3.

, Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 isa view of the lock face plate per se.

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of the face plate showing the lockmechanism supporting wings.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 3. v

Fig. 9 is a view in perspective of the oscillating bolt unit.

Fig. 10 is a view in elevation of the keeper plate.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings the numeral I generallydesignates a portion of a structure representing a motor vehicle door,while a portion of the adjacent door frame or iamb is indicated by thenumeral 2. In the face of the jamb is formed a suitably horizontallydisposed recess 3 which opens toward the outer side of the structure andalso through the face of the lamb toward the adjacent swinging verticaledge of the door. Within this recess is secured a keeper plate 4 whichis relatively long and tapers to a point at its outer end, as indicatedat 5. From this point the top edge'extends inwardly and upwardly in theform of a camming surface B-which extends transversely of the plate 4 atthe outer end and which gradually assumes an angle extending obliquelywith respect to the sides of the plate, the angle being such as togradually bring the face of the camming surface 6 toward the-adjacentedge face of the door. Thus a roller unit mounted upon a normallyhorizontal axis and started over the cam surface 6 at the point 5 wouldgradually rise as it rode up on the surface and would maintain a.flatcontact with the surface until it reached the rear end thereof whereuponit would position within the keeper notch I at the rear end of theplate.

Secured in the front edge of the door body i is a vertically disposedlock face plate 8 which at each end has the lateral extensions 9 whichform anchoring wings which are secured by suitable securing elements tothe body of the door. central part of the plate 8 overlies'the chamberl0 formed in the body of the door to receive the lock parts andextending from the back of the plate are the integral spaced parallelwings II which are of semi-circular contour and each of which has a boltpassage l2 therethrough. This face plate 8 is provided with thelongitudinally extending bolt slot I3 which is verticaly disposed whenthe lock is mounted in position and adjacent each end of this slot arethe transversely The alined lateral slots it, the purpose for which willbe 'hereinafter pointed out.

- Each of the wings H has formed in the edge thereof adjacent the plate8, a'latch pin receiving notch l5 and adjacent each of these notches I5is an aperture it for the reception of the latch pin actuating shafthereinafter referred to.

At each end of the face plate 8 there is formed upon its inner side theinwardly extending lug I1 and secured to each end of this plate upon itsinner side is a leaf spring l8 which adjacent its free end bears againstthe edge of a wing ll. As will be hereinafter pointed out, one only ofthese springs is in operation after the lock has been installed in adoor. However, the face plate is provided with two of the springs sothat the lock may be inverted and the parts reversed if necessary toadapt the lock to a right or left hand operated door.

As will be seen upon reference to Fig. 2, the aperture l2 in that wing Hwhich is nearest the outer side of the door, is of greater diameter thanthe aperture through the inner wing. In order to definitelydistinguish-these two apertures the one of the inner wing will beindicated by the numeral l2.

Disposed against the inner side of the outer wing II is a rocker unit l9which is in the form of a bell crank, having the two arms each of whichterminates in the finger 2! which is joined to the arm by a narrowthroat portion 22 so that a recess 23 is formed in the outer edge of the7 arm and at one side of the throat. This rocker I9 is provided with acircular boss 24 which fits into the aperture l2 and formed through theboss is a squared opening 25 for the reception of the short squaredportion 26 cf the bolt shaft 21 and the inner end of this portionterminates at the inner side of the rocker l9 and from this point to theinner end the shaft is circular. The outer end of the shaft is ofsquared or polygonal cross-section into the collar 23 as indicated at29, so that this collar divides the two squared portions .25 and 29 andbears against the outer side of thecircular boss 24.

The oscillating bolt illustrated in detail in Fig. 9, is indicatedgenerally by the numeral 30. As shown, this bolt is in the form of anelongated flat body having the aperture 3| transversely therethrough,and substantially midway of its ends to receive the portion of the bolt2'! lying immediately adjacent the inner end of the squared part 26.This bolt 30 extends between and in parallel relation with the wings I land has one end projecting through the face plate slot l3. Thisprojecting or outer end of the bolt carries a stem 32 which extendslongitudinally of the bolt and terminates in the head 33, and encirclingthe stem and retained thereon by the head is a roller 34. This rollerrides over the cam surface 6 of the keeper plate 4, and it is adapted tobe disposed in the keeper notch I when the door carrying the lock is inclosed position.

Extending from the inner'end of the bolt 30 is the obliquely directedtongue 35 which is of greater width than the bolt and extends for ashort distance longitudinally of the same so as to form on each side ofthe bolt the lateral cam flanges 36. The lateral recesses M in the endsof the long recess l3 are provided to facilitate the disposition of thebolt 30 in operative position when the parts of the lock are assembled,these recesses permitting the tongue 35 and the cam flanges 35 to enterbetween the wings ll.

As shown in Fig. 3, the over-all width of the tongue 35 is only slightlyless than the distance between the inner faces of the wings H, so thatthe sideedges of the tongue'operate to guide the up and down oroscillatory movement of the inner end of the bolt 30 when the lock isoperated. It will also be seen upon reference to Fig. 4 that theassembled relation of the bolt 30 and rocker I9 is such that one rockerfinger 2| will rest upon the top of a cam flange 36 thus positioning theother rocker finger vertically and with the neck portion thereof betweena notch l5 and the adjacent opening It.

The numeral 31 designates a rock lever which is of substantial lengthand which has adjacent one end a laterally extending foot 33 which isformed adjacent its free end to provide a cam point 39. In the anglebetween the foot 33 and the lever 31 there is formed the aperture 40 andwhen this angle portion is disposed between the bolt 30 and the innerwing II the aperture has the rounded inner end of the shaft 21 extendedtherethrough so that the lever may be locked upon this shaft. The campoint extends over and rests upon the top of the adjacent and other oneof the two cam flanges 33 as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. A stop 4|forming an integral part of the lever 31 abuts the inner face of theface plate so as to limit the movement of the lever in one direction.

The numeral 42 designates a rod which at one end has a ball 43 which isprovided with a socket 44. This socket is designed to receive the lowerone of the lugs ll as shown in Fig. 4 and the other end of the rod isdisposed in an aperture 45 which is formed through the bolt tongue 35.Interposed between this tongue and a collar 45 formed around the rodadjacent the ball 43, is a coiled expansion spring 41 which normallyexerts an upward pressure against the underside ofthe tongue so as tolock the bolt in a direction to bring the roller carrying outer endthereof into the lower end of the slot l3. This also forces the camflanges 36 against the rocker finger 2| and the cam point 39 and thusmaintains the other rocker finger in the vertical position in which itis shown in Fig. 4 and the rock lever 3'! in the same position.

a suitable opening in thebody of the door,

such as is indicated by the numeral 43, to receive the inner end of theshaft which is represented by a handle 50. This handle is preferablydisposed in a recess 5| in the outer side of the door so that it will beout of the way and will not catch the clothing or cause injury in theevent that a person is side-swiped by the car. Any suitable type oflocking mechanism may be employed in association with the handle forsecuring the shaft 49 against rotation. Such handle locks are ofcommon'usage and therefore no detailed illustration of the same has beenmade. The handle 50 may be of any desired form, but it is preferred thatin the present case it be of egg-shape or teardrop design.

Extending transversely of the wings II is a latch pin operating shaft 32which passes through the upper ones of the apertures l6 and at one endextends beyond the inner side of the door body I where it may besupplied with a head 53 or any other means which will facilitate thereciprocation of this shaft. Upon its opposite end the shaft carries aright angularly extending arm 54 which in turn carries a latch pin 55which extends from the inner side thereof in spaced parallel relationwith the shaft I2. The pin 55 is spaced from the shaft a distancesufllclent to permit of its entrance into the adjacent notch l5 and whenthe pin is in the notch and the shaft 52 has been drawn inwardly so asto bring the 7 arm 54 against the outer side of the adjacent wing, thepin will, be positioned behind the back edge of the neck portion of theupstanding rocker arm 20, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and the shaft 52will extend across the front edge of the neck so that the oscillation ofthe rocker i9 will-be effectively prevented. By this means of stoppingthe oscillation of the rocker the lock can be secured from the inside ofthe door against oscillation by some one upon the outside. However', itwill be apparent that the latch pin 55 only prevents the operation ofthe rocker l9 by the handle Ill, but does not prevent the oscillation ofthe rock lever 31 and thus when this lever is oscillated its cam point39 may bear down against the adjacent cam flange 36 and lift the outerend of the oscillating bolt. a

The cam lever 31is operable from the inside of the door through themedium of a link 56 which is secured at one end-to the lever 31 andwhich has its other end secured to any suitable means operable from theinside of the door for reciprocating the link and oscillating the lever.Such means is here illustrated as being in the form of a crank .arm 51carried by a short inside handle operated shaft 58 to one end of whichthe inside handle 59 is attached; It will thus be obvious, uponreference to Fig. 1, that by oscillating the handle 59 toward the frontedge of the door, the lever 31 will be swung back and the oscillation ofthe bolt to raise the outer end thereof from the keeper notch 31 will beeffected.

The leaf spring I! which lies above the upwardly directed rocker fingerI! co-operates with the spring 41 to maintain the outer or forward endof the oscillating bolt in its down position. The spring [8 exerts itseffect upon the upper finger II as stated. whereas the spring 41constantly exerts its force against the underside of the bolt carriedtongue 35. When the rocker I9 is oscillated or rocked by the shaft 21the upstanding rocker finger 2i will be forced rearwardly in adownwardly curving path against the underside of the leaf spring l8 andthe forcing down of the inner end of the oscillating bolt willefiectcompression of the spring 41 as will be readily apparent. a

The operation of the lever 31 is opposed only by the spring 41 and whenthis inside "rock lever is actuated the spring 41 alone operates torestore the parts to inoperative or normal position. By providing therock lever 19 with duplicate arms 20 and the face plate I-with the wingsll having duplicate notches l5 and apertures 16 at the top. and bottomedges thereof, the parts for the lock may be inverted so as to adapt thelock to useupon either side of a motor vehicle. The spring i8 istherefore provided in duplicate as described and there are also providedthe two lugs l1, altho when the lock is in use one of these springs l3and one lug i1 will be idle.

When it is desired to reverse the parts, the retaining pin 60 whichpasses through the inner end of the shaft 21 and holds the same inposition, is withdrawn so that the shaft 21 may be drawn out of theopenings in the wings II-- and thus release the oscillating bolt, therocker l9 and the rock lever 31. The rock lever may then be oscillatedto the position where the finger 2! which previously engaged a camflange 36, will had been extended upwardly. The entire plate ifthenreversed will have the parts in the same position as shown in Fig.4, and the rock lever 31 may be replaced so as to re-position it asshown in Fig. 5, and the entire assembly secured together by restoringthe shaft 31 to its former position and securing it by the pin 60.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that a lock constructedin accordance with the present invention can be made to occupy a minimumof space in the body of the door without sacrificing any of itsefficiency as a lock. With such a construction the disposition of theusual glasspanel supporting and moving mechanism in tliletbody of thedoor may be made without diffi- 0 y. I

1 Having described my invention, what is claimed,

1. A look of the character described, comprising a housing consistingoftwo spaced parallel walls and a connecting wall, said connecting wallconstituting a face plate having a longitudinally extending boltopening, said spaced walls having transversely alined shaft openings,one of said shaft openings being of greater diameter than the other, anelongated bolt body having a transverse shaft opening and disposedbetween and in parallel relation with the spaced walls with one endextended through the face plate opening, a shaft extending through saidshaft openings and passing through the opening of said bolt, a rockerunit disposed between one side of the bolt and the spaced wall havingthe bolt opening of larger diameter, said rocker unit having a circularboss rotatably mounted in the adjacent wall opening and having atransverse passage of polygonal cross section, said shaft having aportion of polygonal cross section engaged in the said rocker unitopening, a handle coupled with the shaft for effecting its oscillation,a rocking lever freely oscillatably mounted on the shaft, means foreffecting the oscillation of said lever, means forming a cammingcoupling between the rocker unit and the bolt and between the lever andthe bolt whereby oscillation of the unit or lever in one direction willeffect the oscillation of the bolt on'the shaft,and resilient meansnormally urging the oscillation of the bolt in opposition to the unitand lever.

2. A look of the character described, comprising a housing consisting oftwo spaced parallel walls'and a connecting wall,said connecting wallconstituting a face plate having a longitudinally extending boltopening, said spaced walls having transversely alined shaft openings,one of said shaft openings being of greater diameter than the other, anelongated bolt body having a transverse polygonal cross section engagedin the said rocker unit opening, a handle coupled with the shaft foreffecting its oscillation, a rocking lever freely oscillatably mountedon the shaft, means for effecting the oscillation of said lever, meansforming a camming coupling between the rocker unit and the bolt andbetween the lever and the bolt whereby oscillation of the unit or leverin one direction will effect oscillation of the bolt of the shaft, andresilient means normally urging the oscillation of the bolt inopposition to the unit and lever, said rocker unit constituting twodivergently related duplicate parts whereby the unit may be inverted tobring either of said parts into contact with said camming means, saidface plate being formed to facilitate the inversion of the bolt wherebythe lock may be adapted to right or left hand use.

3. A look of the character described comprising a mechanism carryingcasing consisting of two spaced parallel walls and a cross-connectingwall, the connecting wall having an elongated bolt opening and theparallel walls having transversely alined shaft openings one of which isof greater diameter than the other, a bolt comprising an elongated fiatbody disposed between the parallel walls and having one end extendedthrough the face plate opening, the bolt having a transverse shaftopening, a rocker unit comprising two divergently related arms anddisposed between the bolt and the wall having the larger diameter, acircular boss carried by the rocker and rotatably engaged in theadjacent wall opening, said rocker having a passage of polygonal crosssection, a rock lever having one end interposed between the bolt and theother of said parallel walls and having a shaft opening, a shaftextending through said alined openings and the elements between theparallel walls, that portion of the shaft passing through the rockerunit corresponding in cross-section to the polygonal openingtherethrough, a handle secured to one end of the shaft to facilitate therocking of the same, a pair of cam" flanges integral with the bolt, oneof which flanges has an end of a rocker arm in contact therewith, a campoint carried by the rock lever and in contact with the other of saidflanges, and resilient means coupled with the bolt and normally urgingthe oscillation of the same on said shaft in opposition to said rockerarm and lever cam point. v

4. A look structure comprising a mechanism housing consisting of twospaced parallel walls and a coupling transverse wall having an elongatedbolt opening formed therethrough, the parallel walls having transverselyalined shaft openings, one of which is of greater diameter than theother, a bolt comprising an elongated flat body disposed between theparallel walls and having an end extended through said bolt opening,said bolt having a transverse opening for supporting a shaft, a rockerunit comprising two divergently related arms and having an aperture ofpolygonal cross-section in the angle between the arms, the rocker beingdisposed between one of said two walls and the bolt and having acircular boss oscillatably mounted in the shaft opening of largerdiameter, a shaft passing through said alined openings and through saidrocker and bolt openings, the shaft and rocker being coupled againstindependent motion, a cam flange forming a part of said bolt and havingthe free end of one of said rocker arms slidably disposed thereagainst,the other of said arms normally extending upwardly, resilient means normally urging the oscillation of the bolt on the shaft in a directionopposed to the flange engaged arm, a handle coupled with the shaft tofacilitate the oscillation of the rocker unit, and resilient meansengaging the free end of the other rocker arm and co-acting withsaidfirst resilient means to oppose the oscillation of the unit.

5. A lock structure comprising a mechanism housing consisting of twospaced parallel walls and a coupling transverse wall having an elongatedbolt opening formed therethrough, the parallel walls having transverselyalined shaft openings, one of which is of greater diameter than theother, a bolt comprising an elongated flat body disposed between theparallel walls and having an end extended through said bolt opening,said bolt having a transverse opening for supporting a shaft, a rockerunit comprising two divergently related arms and having an aperture ofpolgonal cross-section in the angle between the arms, the rocker beingdisposed between one of said two walls and the bolt and having acircular boss oscillatably mounted in the shaft opening of largerdiameter, a shaft passing through said alined openings and through saidrocker and bolt openings, the shaft and rocker being coupled againstindependent motion, a cam flange forming a part of said bolt and havingthe free end of one of said rocker arms slidably disposed thereagainst,the other of said arms normally extending upwardly, resilient meansnormally urging the oscillation of the bolt on the shaft in a directionopposed to the flange engaged arm', a handle coupled with the shaft tofacilitate the oscillation of the rocker unit, resilient means engagingthe free end of the other rocker arm and co-acting with said firstresilient means to oppose the oscillation of the unit, and latchingmeans comprising a reciprocably mounted pin supported by the one of thesaid two walls adjacent to the rocker unit and extending across andopposing the movement of the upwardly extending one of said unit armswhen in latching position.

6. A lock structure comprising a mechanism housing consisting of twospaced parallel walls and a coupling transverse wall having an elongatedbolt opening formed therethrough, the parallel walls having transverselyalined shaft openings, one of which is of greater diameter than theother, a bolt comprising an elongated flat body disposed between theparallel walls and having an end extended through said bolt opening,said bolt having a transverse opening for supporting a shaft, a rockerunit comprising two divergently related arms and having an aperture ofpolygonal cross-section in the angle between the arms, the rocker beingdisposed between one of said two walls and the bolt and having acircular boss oscillatably mounted in the shaft opening of largerdiameter, a shaft passing through said alined openings and through saidrocker and bolt openings, the shaft and rocker being coupled againstindependent motion, a cam flange forming a part of said bolt and havingthe free end of one of said rocker arms slidably disposed thereagainst,the other of said arms normally extending upwardly, resilient meansnormally urging the oscillation of the bolt on the shaft in a directionopposed to the flange engaged arm, a handle coupled with the shaft tofacilitate the oscillation ofthe rocker unit, resilient means engagingthe free end of the other rocker arm and co-acting with said firstresilient means to oppose the oscillation of the unit, and latchingmeans comprising a reciprocably mounted pin supported by the one of thesaid two walls adjacent to the rocker unit and extending across andopposing the movement of the upwardly extending one of said unit armswhen in latching position, the last mentioned one of said walls beingprovided with duplicate means for reciprocably supporting said latch pinand said cross-connecting walls being formed to facilitate the inversionof said oscillating bolt, said duplicate means and said last mentionedwall means facilitating the reversal of the lock parts to adapt the lockto right or left hand use.

'7. A lock, comprising a casing having two side walls and an aperturedconnecting wall therebetween, a shaft passing through and coupling theside walls and freely oscillatable therein, a bolt lying between theside walls and mounted for free oscillation on the shaft, an end of thebolt passing through the said apertured wall for engagement with akeeper, means for oscillating the shaft, an arm fixed to the shaft andoscillating coaxially with the same and with the bolt, the arm having afree end, a cam forming element carried by the bolt, and the said freeend of the arm having direct contact with said cam element upon theopposite side of the shaft from the keeper-engaging end of the boltwhereby oscillation of the bolt on the shaft will be effectedimmediately upon the beginning of and by rotating the shaft.

8. A look, comprising a casing having two side walls and an aperturedconnecting wall therebetween, a shaft passing through and coupling theside walls and freely oscillatable therein, a

bolt lying between the side walls and mountedfor free oscillation on theshaft, an end of the bolt passing through the said apertured wall forengagement with a keeper, means for oscillating the shaft, an arm fixedat one end to the shaft to move coaxially therewith and with the boltand in a plane paralleling a side face of the bolt, and a cam flangeprojecting from the said face of the bolt and located beyond the shaftfrom the first end of the bolt, the said cam being constantly engaged bythe other end of the arm, and resilient means engaging the cam carryingend of the bolt and opposing movement of said engaged end by the arm.

9. A lock, comprising a casing having two side walls and an aperturedconnecting wall therebetween, a shaft passing through and coupling theside walls and freely oscillatable therein, a bolt lying between theside walls and mounted for free oscillation on the shaft, an end of thebolt passing through the said apertured wall for engagement with akeeper, means for oscillating the shaft, an arm fixed at one end to theshaft to move coaxially therewith and with the bolt and in a planeparalleling a side face of the bolt, a cam flange projecting from thesaid face of the bolt and located beyond the shaft from the first end ofthe bolt, the said cam flange being engaged directly by the other end ofthe arm, a second arm integral with the first arm and forming an angletherewith, shiftable securing means carried by a side wall andengageable with the second arm to retain the arms against oscillation,and means exerting yieldable pressure against the cam carrying end ofthe bolt and opposing the movement of the same by the arm contactingtherewith.

. 10. A look, comprising a casing consisting of two side walls and aconnecting face wall, the latter wall having a bolt openingtherethrough, a shaft passing transversely through and connecting saidside walls, a bolt lying between and in parallel relation with the sidewalls and traversed by the shaft on which it is freely oscillatable,said bolt having one end passing through the bolt opening for engagementwith a keeper, a cam flange integral with the bolt at the other end andprojecting from one side face thereof, an apertured tongue projectingfrom the said other end of the bolt and disposed obliquely thereto, anarm fixed to the shaft and extending in a parallel plane with the saidside face of the bolt, the other end of said arm bearing against saidcam flange, a pin rockably mounted at one end against the said face walland having its other end extending through the aperture of said tongue,an expansible spring encircling the pin and having one end bearingagainst the said tongue to normally urge the oscillation of the bolt ina direction to oppose the flange engaging end of the arm, and meansfacilitating the oscillation of the shaft.

GEORGE E. STEEN.

